The Grand Budapest Hotel
I had heard about The Grand Budapest Hotel back when it had come out in 2014, but at the time I was still playing college baseball and it was just one of those movies that slipped to the back of my mind and didn’t resurface on my list to watch until this year.
To be honest, I am not the biggest Wes Anderson fan, mostly because his filmography is always a little too quirky for my liking, but I will say that he NAILED this film. I loved the story itself and I don’t think there would have been a better direction or vision for it than what Anderson envisioned.
The story follows an immigrant lobby boy by the name of Zero, played to perfection by Tony Revolori and follows his life as he works at the prestigious hotel called The Grand Budapest Hotel and his adventure with Monsieur M. Gustave as he runs from the law due to his affair with a wealthy hotel guest as she passes away and leaves him a priceless piece of art.
How this film has not gotten the acclaim it deserves is beyond me. The cast is star studded featuring various appearances from Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, and so many more. I thought Ralph Fiennes nailed his role as M Gustave and his quirky mannerisms were goofy when they needed to be and serious when they needed to be as well (though mostly goofy). Revolori’s role was very subtle, though executed correctly when the scene pandered to him and his scenes without Fiennes. It felt like every character, no matter how small the role or how few the lines, handled each scene perfectly, adding just enough to leave the viewer satisfied. I can’t say that there was one weak link on this cast.
Aside from the cast, the tone of the movie is really what bring you in. It teeters on comedy and darkness the entire movie, carefully delving from one side and escapes the darkness without being corny or too obvious. It is a fine line and though there are some scenes that are darker in context, Fiennes’ does a fantastic job bringing the film back into its strong element with a quirky quip or one-liner. This is, in my opinion, Wes Anderson’s funniest film to date, bypassing Asteroid City and some of his other work.
As far as flaws, there are very few, and even then, the term “flaw” should be used subjectively. Towards the end of the film, I thought that it had ended rather abruptly, but with the flow of the film and the way it is told, the way it ends fits the style and tone of the film. I think I selfishly wish there was more time with Zero and M Gustave. Other than that, I felt that the hour ninety-nine-minute run time was ample enough to tell the story with depth, even if it did leave me wanting more.
Again, how this film has made it through the years without more acclaim, I am not sure. it is shot beautifully; each scene played out to its perfect length and has you laughing and cheering for Zero and M Gustave from start to finish. The film does a fantastic job giving each star their chance to shine and each took their moment and ran with it, though the best were played by Revolori and Fiennes. This is another that took me far too long to watch, and if you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend you spend a night checking out The Grand Budapest Hotel!
4.7/5